CNN’s Chris Wallace: ‘I Don’t Understand’ Why ‘Abortion Is Murder!’ Crowd Now Says 15 Weeks Is Fine

CNN’s Chris Wallace exposed a major hurdle for Republicans when he asked a “pro-life” panelist why the “Abortion is Murder!” crowd is “now saying, well, I can accept 15 weeks?”

Journalists Jonah Goldberg, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Reihan Salam, and Kara Swisher joined Wallace for this week’s edition of CNN’s The Chris Wallace Show on Saturday morning to discuss the news of the week.

During a discussion of abortion pegged to the off-year elections this week in which the GOP got clobbered on the issue, Wallace hit on a fundamental issue facing Republicans trying to convince moderate voters they’ll stick to “reasonable” limits:

CHRIS WALLACE: I don’t understand the pro-life movement, which for years has been saying “Zero! Abortion is murder!”.

Why are people now saying, well, I can accept 15 weeks?

REIHAN SALAM: Well, that’s not quite right, Chris, because when you look at the pro-life movement politically, there often was an emphasis on late-term abortions. Sex-selective abortions and what have you…

CHRIS WALLACE: There were a lot of people who said “Abortion is murder.” I saw all the demonstrations–

REIHAN SALAM: And that that’s absolutely true.

CHRIS WALLACE: Then why are they accepting 15 weeks? A Lot of them.

REIHAN SALAM: Look, it’s because of political reality, of recognizing they wanted it in the cut and thrust of Democratic politics. That’s where it is right now. That’s painful right now. But people are learning and the movement has to grow. If you are going to create a culture of life, it has to happen by persuading people.

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO: I just don’t think they trust people on the right to say “it’s going to be 15 weeks” and then they’re not going to try and move the goalpost and say, “you know what, It’s ten Oh, no, it’s five.”

CHRIS WALLACE: All right. I’m glad we settled that one!

Watch above via CNN’s The Chris Wallace Show.